Kelsey Hochstatter was born and raised in East Amherst, New York. Her family traveled often, and she quickly became captivated by the diversity of the natural world surrounding her. As a young girl she would sketch on anything she could get her hands on, literally, anything. She never kept a diary, though she left a trail of sketches adorning her path. She began taking on a great deal of illustration work at a young age. A daydreamer, an explorer, and an artist, Kelsey was constantly challenging herself. Her imaginative mind took her places that this world could not. Years later she realized that painting could take her to those same places. “If I’m yearning serenity, through painting, I can find it. When I am moved or inspired in life, by Nature, by people, by God, it stays with me. I revisit those feelings when I’m painting. Painting is a vessel in that way. Life feeds painting, but then, painting also feeds life.” Kelsey went on to pursue her interests at St. Lawrence University in Upstate New York. She majored in Fine Arts, as well as Environmental Studies and Psychology. She balanced her heavy workload with studio courses, which she claims, kept her sane. Focusing primarily on painting and printmaking, Kelsey cherished her time spent in the studio. The artist also worked for the University’s outdoor program as a rock climbing guide and spent much time outdoors, in the Adirondack Mountains. On her climbing trips she’d hook a small camera to her harness and photograph anything that inspired her along the way. The rich earth tones in the autumn leaves, a visual detail or texture on a rock formation, the pattern of the moss growing over a boulder, these were all photographs that were later pinned to her studio wall for reference while she painted. In 2004 Kelsey crossed the country to visit Southern California. She found herself selling her artwork while still on vacation. It became clear to her that she was not supposed to go back East, or end her vacation at all; She had found her new home. Kelsey is always seeking signs of Nature’s little treasures. She has named these “natural details,” referring to† “the little things in life, which are naturally formed, often unobserved, and exude the purest kind of beauty.” Whether through form, pattern, texture, or color, these “natural details” continue to take shape in her paintings today. The artist now resides in Laguna Beach, California. Surrounded by Laguna’s lush vegetation and unique landscape, Kelsey finds herself painting freely and often.